Recently Asked Questions

Q: I am a clinician and my patient today asked a question regarding her 11 year-old developmentally delayed daughter. She has decision making skills at a 4 or 5 year level and is very interested in boys. The mother wants to place her on birth control once she...

Q: Good afternoon! I am a 23 year old female in graduate school who has recently entered into a monogamous, sexually active relationship, both of us negative for STDs/STIs. In the past, I never had sex enough to feel I needed to utilize birth control other than...

Q: We are trying to update our guidelines for DMPA injections. For an initial start, if a woman has her normal menstrual period, do we still need to do a pregnancy test before administering the Depo injection? Thank you! A: If a menstruating woman is...

Q My regular period stopped about 12 days ago and I then started bleeding again. No pain at first, but now after 3 days I am bleeding constantly and cramping. What’s up? I am 36 years old and consider myself very healthy. A: You indicate that your...

Q: DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am 40 years old. After having a period that lasted nearly two months, I had tests done that showed a small, hyperechoic lesion within the endometrium. What exactly does this mean? My primary care doctor suggested a hysterectomy as...

Q: Hello, I have a question about postpartum birth control. My patient is a 29 year old who just had her first baby (vaginal birth). She is exclusively breastfeeding. Her pre-pregnant BMI was 45. Because of her weight, one of my partners thought it would be...

Q: What are the facts on pregnancy and drinking? A: Below are new facts from ARHP as a resource for couseling patients about pregnancy and alcohol consumption. By clearly communicating the risks of drinking during pregnancy, you can...

Q: How did you become an ardent feminist? A: This is how I became an ardent feminist. For 15 years I have given lectures to different classes of students from Georgia Tech (several a year). Each class had 250 to 300 students. I told them...

Q I am 35 years old and have had the Mirena IUD for over 3 years with no problems. My periods stopped during that time. My menstrual history is good with regular periods and no problems. My husband and I are ready to have another baby, so I had my Mirena...

Q Why are actions so much more important than words? A: For family planning fellows, nurse practitioners, doctors, medical and nursing students… Ralph Waldo Emerson made a wise observation when he said “What you do in your life thunders so...

DISCLAIMER

Suggestions, recommendations, questions, comments, data from the literature, interpretation of laboratory tests and other information provided on this site are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be relied upon as advice from or implied to be a substitute for the professional advice of a physician, nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, counselor or other healthcare professional. Always seek the advice of your clinician or other professional for any questions you may have regarding your health, medical condition, method of birth control and other family planning or personal/social issues. Periodic references to costs of birth control methods on this website are estimates only and your actual cost for any specific method of birth control may be more or less than the stated amount. Emory University School of Medicine, Bridging the Gap Foundation, and Bridging the Gap Communications Inc are not responsible for any damage or loss you may incur as a result of your use of or reliance on any material or information provided through this website.